Universal hoe stick



Aug. 14, 1962 G. c. NOLL UNIVERSAL HOE STICK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 3, 1959 INVENTOR.

GEORGE C. NOLL BY 01m, 724 'pmuzy ATTORNEYS Aug. 14, 1962 e. c. NOLL 3,049,252

UNIVERSAL HOE STICK Filed Aug. 3, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GEORGE a uou.

BY Ulmliml, Wh y F IDW ATTORNEYS 3,049,252 UNIVERSAL HOE STICK George C. Noll, North Ridgeville, Ohio, assignor to The Thew Shovel Company, Lorain, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 831,183 14 Claims. (Cl. 214-145) The present invention relates generally as indicated to a universal hoe stick and more particularly to a hoe stick which is readily adjustable for use with dippers or buckets of different widths.

In hoes and like equipment, there usually is provided a boom which has its foot pivotally mounted to the turntable for swinging in a vertical plane. Pivotally connected to the tip of the boom is the hoe stick which, through a brace, is connected to the dipper or bucket. At the present time it is required to employ a different hoe stick for use with each size of bucket which is a costly project because the entire assembly of the hoe stick and bucket must be removed from the boom when it is desired to use a different width of bucket. Moreover, it is necessary to stock different sizes of hoe sticks to match the several sizes of buckets.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a universal hoe stick which is usable with different width buckets.

It is another object of this invention to provide an adjustable hoe stick which is of lightweight, but strong, and rugged construction.

It is another object of this invention to provide a universal hoe stick as aforesaid, in which a pair of allochiral members are pivotally connected together to enable quick and easy changes to accommodate connection to different widths of buckets.

It is another object of this invention to provide a universal hoe stick in which a pair of allo-chiral members are not only pivotally connected together, as aforesaid, but have universal ball-joint connections with the tip of the boom.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view showing a typical hoe employing the universal hoe stick constituting the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation view of the improved universal hoe stick including the conventional drag (or snatch) and pull blocks;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view as viewed from the top of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 7, are fragmentary cross-section views as taken along the lines 4-4 5-5, 6-6, and 77, respectively, of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are side and end elevation views of a modified form of bucket and stick assembly in which the adjustable width stick is formed with the sides of the bucket whereby all that it is necessary to do is to substitute different widths of bucket bot-toms.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and first to the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7, the hoe 1 is shown as including an engine propelled carrier 2 on the turntable 3 of which is mounted the operators 3,949,252 Patented Aug. 14, 1962 cab 4 for swinging about the central vertical axis of the turntable 3. The foot of the hoe boom 5 is pivotally mounted at 6 to the base of the cab assembly 4 and said boom 5 is adapted to be swung in a vertical plane between the positions shown by manipulation of appropriate cable drums, not shown. The dipper stick and dipper assembly 7 is pivotally mounted to the tip of the boom 5 and there usually is provided an adjustable brace 8 for mounting the dipper or bucket 9 at a selected angle with respect to the dipper stick 10. The end of the stick 10 nearest the boom pivot 11 has pivotally connected thereto a pull block 12 and at the other end of the stick 10 there is provided the usual snatch or drag block 14. In this case the drag block 14 is connected to the end of the hoe stick 10 through short lengths of chain 15 which, however, are of suflicient length to accommodate different width settings of the stick 10 as hereinafter explained in detail.

The bucket 9 may be of convention form including ears 16 on opposite sides for connection with the hoe stick 10, a center ear 17 for connection with brace 8, and digging teeth 13.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 to 7, it can be seen that the hoe stick 19 herein comprises a pair of allo-chiral members 18 and 19 which respectively include longitudinally extending side bars 20 and 21. lateral overlapping webs 23 and 24, and overlapping angles and 26, the webs 23 and 24 and angles 25 and 26 being pivotally connected by the welded stud and nut assembly 27 as clearly shown in FIG. 7.

The webs 23 and 24 are each provided with two series of tapered holes 28-29 and 3031 having their centers lying on a line passing through the pivot 27. When the webs 23 and 24 are secured together by bolts and nuts passing through aligned holes 28 and 30, or through aligned holes 29 and 30, or through aligned holes 28 and 31, there will be three different width settings to accommodate buckets 9 in which .the ears 16 are spaced apart, for example, 24-/s, 22%", or 14" center-tocenter distance. To assure firm clamping by the bolt and nut assemblies 32 there are provided split wedge rings 34 as clearly shown in FIG. 4.

Extending downwardly from the respective bars 20 and 21 are laterally flexible ears 35 and 36 each of which as shown in FIG. 5 has retaining collars 37 and 38 for the spherical bearing member 39. Extending through said ears 35 and 36 is a hinge pin 40 on which is disposed the hoe boom bearing sleeve 41, and a hinge spacer 42 and bearing member 43 at each end. There are also dirt and grease shields 45 associated with the bearing members 39 and 43. Each spacer 42 and bearing member 43 are retained on pin 40 by ring 46, slotted nut 47, and cotter pin 48. It is to be noted that, although the adjustment of members 18 and 19 about pivot 27 efiects movement of the latter relative to the spherical bearing members 39 and 43, such movement is essentially along straight lines and the amount of departure of the arcs is taken up by yielding of the ears 35 and 36 or by slight looseness of the pivot 27 and the bearing members 39 and 43.

Welded or otherwise secured to the top of the respective side bars 20 and 21 are brackets 49 and 50 each provided with holes for securing the cross pin 51 of brace 8 in any of three different positions to thereby support the bucket 9 in any of three different angular positions with respect to the hoe stick 10.

The pull block 12 comprises frame members 55 and 56 that are joined together at their upper ends by a sleeve 57 that is journalled on bushings 58 on shaft 59 which extends through holes adjacent the right hand ends of side bars 20 and 21 as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3. Sleeves 60 and 61 over which frame members 18 and 19 are slidable, are pinned by pins 62 and 63 on the ends of said shaft 59 to locate the pull block 12 centrally between the side bars and 21 irrespective of the width adjustment of the hoe stick 10. The ends of pins 62 and 63 fit between lugs 64 to prevent turning of the shaft 59 and sleeves 60 and 61. The pins 62 and 63 are inserted in the aligned holes of shaft 59 and sleeves 6t) and 61 according to the width setting of the hoe stick 19. The pull block sheave 65 is mounted on shaft 67 in conventional manner and a cable socket 68 is mounted on pin 69.

By reason of the foregoing construction, it can be seen that the present universal hoe stick 10 is of lightweight construction, but yet is very strong and rigid in any of its several adjusted positions to accommodate different widths of buckets 'or dippers 9. It is to be understood that the dipper stick itself may be of one-piece strong construction connected in place of the brace 8 and that the adjustable width unit may extend between the ears 16 of bucket 9 and a Zone of the hoe stick adjacent pull block 12.

A modification of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In this case the adjustable side bars 743 and 71 of the hoe stick 72 also constitute the sides of the bucket 73, whereby such side bars 70 and 71 may be connected to different 'width bucket bottoms 74 as by suitable screws 75.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a universal hoe stick, the combination of a pair of elongated members, means pivotally interconnecting said members for relative movement, said members having laterally spaced apart ends adapted for connection with a dipper, and means adjustably rigidly connecting said members together laterally to vary the distance between such spaced apart ends thus relatively pivoting said members for connection with dippers of different Widths.

2. A hoe stick and dipper assembly comprising a dipper having digging teeth along the front bottom edge thereof, a pair of hoe stick ears adjacent the ends of the rear bottom edge of said dipper, and a brace ear at the middle of the rear top edge of said dipper; a hoe stick having spaced apart members at one end connected to said hoe stick ears and a brace extending from adjacent the other end of said hoe stick to said brace ear; and means adjustably connecting said members together to vary the distance therebetween at said one end for connection with dippers of different width between said hoe stick ears.

3. A hoe stick and dipper assembly comprising a dipper having digging teeth along the front bottom edge thereof, a pair of hoe stick ears adjacent the ends of the rear bottom edge of said dipper, and a brace ear at the middle of the rear top edge of said dipper; a hoe stick having spaced apart members at one end detachably connected to said hoe stick ears and a brace extending from adjacent the other end of said hoe stick to said brace ear; said members comprising a pair of elongated side bars with transverse, overlapping webs; pivot means extending through said Webs connecting said bars together for relative swinging about said pivot means to vary the distance between such spaced apart ends for connection with dippers of different Width between said hoe stick ears, and screw means extending through said webs to clamp said Webs together to lock said spaced apart ends in predetermined adjusted position.

4. A hoe stick and dipper assembly comprising a dipper having digging teeth along the front bottom edge thereof, a pair of hoe stick ears adjacent the ends of the rear bottom edge of said dipper, and a brace car at the middle of the rear top edge of said dipper; a hoe stick having spaced apart ends detachably connected to said hoe stick ears at one end of said hoe stick and a brace extending from adjacent the other end of said hoe stick to said brace ear; said hoe stick comprising a pair of elongated members; a boom pivot; and means swingably connecting said members to said boom pivot to vary the distance between such spaced apart ends for connection with dippers of different width between said hoe stick ears.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein said boom pivot includes spherical bearing connections with the respective elongated members.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein said members have transverse overlapping webs, pivot means extending through said webs to provide an axis for relative swinging of said members, and screw means also extending through said webs to lock said members with their spaced apart ends in predetermined adjusted position.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein such other end of said hoe stick is provided with a bearing for a pull block, and means for maintaining a predetermined width of said bearing despite adjustment of the distance between the sp-aced apart ends of said hoe stick.

8. In a universal hoe stick, the combination of a pair of elongated members having transverse, overlapping webs, said members, beyond said webs, having laterally spaced apart ends adapted for connection with a dipper, and pivot means extending through said webs adjustably connecting said members together for relative swinging to vary the distance between such spaced apart ends for connection with dippers of different widths.

9. The hoe stick of claim 8 wherein screw means radially spaced from said pivot means extend through said webs to clamp them together to lock said spaced apart ends in predetermined adjusted position;

10. The hoe stick of claim 8 wherein said'boom pivot includes spherical bearing connections with the respective members.

11. The hoe stick of claim 8 wherein an adjustable width bearing extends across said members to accommodate a pull block in the various adjusted positions of said members.

12. The hoe stick of claim 8 wherein flexible connecting means serve to connect a snatch "block to said hoe stick adjacent such laterally spaced apart ends.

13. A hoe stick and dipper assembly comprising a dipper bottom having teeth along the bottom edge thereof, dipper sides fixed to said dipper bottom and constituting said hoe stick, and means laterally to adjust said dipper sides to accommodate dipper bottoms of different widths.

14. A hoe stick and dipper assembly comprising a dipper bottom having teeth along the bottom edge thereof, dipper sides fixed to said dipper bottom and constituting said hoe stick, said dipper sides being laterally adjustable to accommodate dipper bottoms of different widths, said dipper sides including transverse overlapping webs, and means to clamp said Webs together to lock said dipper sides in predetermined laterally adjusted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,511,114 Downie Oct. 7, 1924 1,682,774 Clutter Sept. 4, 1928 2,496,874 Holopainen Feb. 7, 1950 2,721,404 Luke Oct. 25, 1955 2,869,654 Hcrshman Jan. 20, 1959 

